Saturday, February 27, 2016

Super Sixth Graders at Liberty Park Middle School

GranFran as Rosie at Liberty Park Middle School
     GranFran and I so enjoyed meeting the SUPER sixth graders at Liberty Park Middle School  in Vestavia Hills, Alabama this week! Rosie the Riveter arrived just at the moment these guys were studying World War II in the sixth grade curriculum, and it was impressive -- and encouraging! -- to see how much these guys know about our nation's history! Jean Deal, their wonderful Librarian, made our visit so smooth and seamless. What a great school! Keep it up, LPMS, and thanks for a great visit!


We loved visiting LPMS!
Our thanks to Principal Kacy Pierce and
Assistant Principal Roger Dobnikar. . . 
. . . and Librarian Jean Deal for the invite! Note that
Jennifer Isbell, LPMS's sixth grade Social Studies
teacher, is sporting her own Rosie t-shirt!

Friday, February 26, 2016

Feeling At Home at Samford University

   
Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama
is a Christian school that is consistently ranked among
the top universities in the nation by folks like
U. S. News and World Report and Kiplinger's.
       In case you have wondered, you CAN go home again! GranFran and I did just that this week when we spoke at the Samford University Retired Faculty Association's monthly meeting. GranFran of course, taught Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Samford for 28 years, and my late father, Dr. John Carter, was on faculty for 31 years, retiring as Dean of the School of Education. I graduated from Samford, as did my brother, my husband, two of my children, and a daughter-in-law.
     So it was pure pleasure when Dr. Ellen McLaughlin, this year's President of the Retired Faculty Association, asked us to do our Rosie  the Riveter program for this special group of people  -- those who have shaped and influenced so many great kids as they have gone through this remarkable university.
       My dad was the driving force in getting the Retired Faculty Association started many years ago, and he and Mother have been active in it all along. But it was especially fun for me to greet some of these folks that I knew from my childhood, growing up as an FK (Faculty Kid), and reveal that I am now a grandmother of eight!
     Go Bulldogs!!!

Monday, February 1, 2016

Meeting New Friends at Galleria Woods

Chilling with some of our new friends at Galleria Woods!
GranFran and I had such a good time with these ladies (and some other ladies AND men who didn't get into the picture) when we presented our program at the Galleria Woods Senior Living Community in Birmingham. Some of the residents even had their own memories and experiences to share (though most were only children at the time) -- and that makes for a really rich and fun time together!
Quite a task - 1,000 pieces!



In honor of the day, some of the ladies had put together this 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle -- gee, that gal looks familiar!

Many thanks to Activities Director Lesley Stevens for inviting us to spend this wonderful time with our new friends!